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The trade war between China and the US and, to a lesser degree, the effects of the pandemic caused the former to lose 4.2 percentage points of share in the US market of manufactured imports between 2018 and 2021.
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Last month the government announced the intention to stop exporting oil as of 2023 to instead use it in the national refining of gasoline with the aim of achieving "energy autonomy" and stop importing gasoline.
Exports of goods overcame the weak start of the year and remained sustained, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in May. A progressive recovery in the tourism sector is expected, as foreign tourism is partially offset by national.
Despite the fact that is less exposed to the US economy than the rest of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), Spain will still benefit from expansionary policy in the United States. BBVA Research believes that this impact will grow and add ar…
Despite the difficult global context brought about by COVID, the Spanish exports of goods maintained their export market destination and gained competitiveness and share in international trade. Outlook is favourable, although the uncertainty ab…
COVID-19 hit international trade in 2020, paralyzing activity in several sectors and disrupting global supply chains. Demand plummeted and trade flows were severely damaged. The upward trend in the export of Spanish goods that had been ongoing since 2010 was also interrupted.
The expansion of global trade has slowed in recent years, following a long period of exuberance. How will trade flows evolve over the next decade, taking into account recent trends such as the pandemic and climate change, as well as other factors?
International trade will slow down by 2030, due to both traditional factors (technology, economic development, trade policies) and new determinants (COVID-19, sustainability).
Mexico, Canada and US have reached an agreement to renew the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into 25 years ago and which president Donald Trump promised to renegotiate during his electoral campaign. It's important to remembe…
Having seen the update that various institutions have made on growth scenarios for the Spanish economy over the last week, I was reminded of a quote from Cormac McCarthy's book "The Road."
It has become fairly commonplace to talk about the high uncertainty of the global economic scenario, about growth prospects that, whatever they may be, are generally being revised downward or at risk of default biased in that direction.
The outcome of the G20 meeting in Osaka last weekend of June can be seen as positive; it was a kind of restart after the failure of previous multilateral meetings, with more details and emphasis on previously discussed issues and the addition of certain new ones.


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Wright Holdings Raises Elder-Beerman Bid
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) _ Wright Holdings Inc. increased its bid for Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. on Friday to $90.5 million, pulling ahead of The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. for a second time in the tug-of-war for the retailer.
Wright Holdings, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison, offered $7.80 a share for Elder-Beerman. That eclipses the $84.1 million, or $7.25 a share offered Thursday by York, Pa.-based Bon-Ton.
Previously, Wright Holdings had offered $7.05 a share after Bon-Ton had bid $7.
Shares in Elder-Beerman closed at $7.20 Friday, up 1 cent, on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Elder-Beerman and Bon-Ton entered merger talks in late July, about a month after the Elder-Beerman board agreed to sell the company to Wright Holdings.
Goldner Hawn’s managing director, Michael Sweeney, has said his company remains committed to acquiring Elder-Beerman and keeping its current management and operations intact.
Any merger must pass government scrutiny and be approved by shareholders controlling two-thirds of Elder-Beerman’s 11.6 million common shares.
Elder-Beerman employs about 6,100 workers and operates 68 stores in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The company had sales last year of $671 million.
Bon-Ton sells clothing, accessories and home furnishings in 72 department stores in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia. It employs about 8,700 workers.
On the Net:
Goldner Hawn: http://www.ghjm.com/

domain: news


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Taekwondo body set for rebrand to ‘lessen use of WTF acronym’
The governing body is reportedly looking to market itself as World Taekwondo for business and commercial purposes
In what has been seen as an effort to steer clear of a widely used acronym, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has announced plans to rebrand.
The governing body is reportedly looking to market itself as World Taekwondo for business and commercial purposes, although there are no current plans to officially change the organization’s name, WTF secretary general, Hoss Rafaty, told InsideTheGames.
It was reported however that the rebranding would encourage the body to lessen the use of the WTF acronym, also a slang acronym that has become increasingly popular on social media in recent years.


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Finally it all comes together...
You are being physically tracked when you shop, and an announcement from the Federal Trade Commission today revealed scary details as to the extent to which this practice occurs. The FTC announcement, which represents its first action against a company engaged in retail tracking (that is the physical tracking of users [...]
Apple’s incredible iPhone sales drove its blockbuster December quarter results and the March quarter could offer more of the same.
Forbes recently named grocery delivery app Instacart as America's Most Promising Company. But the startup still has a long road ahead of it.
For consumers looking to monitor their credit or better budget their funds, there are countless online sites and services eager to help. Of course, not all of them are created equal. To weed through the offerings and see how they stack up, I spoke to Shindy Chen, author of The Credit [...]
VideoThe new cinematic announcement trailer for Total War: Warhammer is pretty great. It reminds me of Blizzard's cinematic trailers. Of course, as I've said with many of those---from Diablo III to World of Warcraft---the cinematics always make the games look so much bigger and better. That's likely also the case here, though I'm still plenty [...]
In a big move for Sino-Russian economic relations, the Skolkovo Foundation outside Moscow and China's Cybernaut Investment Group have signed a $200 million agreement to create a joint Russian-Chinese business incubator, robotics center and venture fund. The 1,500-square-meter R&D center will be at the Skolkovo Center and will house at [...]
Active users on Google+ are less than 1% of total Google users
While the geekerati made a big play of the reviews of the Apple Watch once Cupertino's embargo lifted, the tightly knit circle of influencers in the Bay Area might be sporting a number of review units and developer samples, the realShow More Summary
On the Internet, the open range is all picked over and scrubby. The richest land is fenced off. Google owns some of it, but so do others.
When the Apple Watch officially releases this week, can we expect consumers to bite? According to Prosper’s latest insights from more than 6,000 U.S. adults surveyed during the first week of April, 4.0% are considering purchasing the Apple Watch in the next three months; an additional 3.0% are thinking about buying [...]
Once upon a time, businesses depended on salespeople for information. That was a simpler age. But The Web Killed All That...
Tired of switching back and forth on your TV to find the most exciting playoff games? There's an app that can do that for you.
In many conversations about data and analytics, we talk about data the way we talk about coal or wheat or gold. Data is raw material. It’s collected or created, then put into a machine to turn it into some kind of product. That’s wrong. Data isn’t a resource to be [...]
VideoNow, this is different: Carl Zeiss AG has announced a pair of new lenses, featuring a unique built-in OLED display. Dubbed ‘Batis’, these autofocus prime lenses are designed to fit Sony’s Alpha range of mirrorless full-frame cameras and come in 25mm f/2 and 85mm f1.8 variants - and they are [...]
The online lifelong learning company Curious.com today is launching a new service called CuriousTV that will offer a free slate of 10 channels on business, music, crafting, food, and more on its own website and app and partners such as Roku.
For 12 years, the Babson Survey Group in partnership with other organizations, including the Online Learning Consortium (formerly the Sloan Consortium), has done critical research into the growth of online learning in American higher education that it publishes in the report Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States. [...]
It seems despite the petitions and general fan based disapproval, Dreamworks are going ahead with the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. According to the movie’s lead actress, Scarlett Johansson, filming will start at the beginning of 2016. Thus far we know that Rupert Sanders is set to direct [...]


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Hello Farmers’ Market Lovers,
Launching this year’s effort to ensure all residents near our markets know what’s for sale at the market, here is a collection of vendor goods currently on display in the Vancity on Marine Drive in West Vancouver.
Be on the lookout for more market presence in the upcoming months prior to our season open in May.
Currently, select vendors are selling at Londsale Quay every weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 3PM, indoors near the South doors leading out to the fountain.
We’re very fortunate to have another eleven UBS Land and Food students volunteering for the market for the next three months, so be on the lookout for their customer surveys to gather what you most want to see at the farmers’ market.
Artisan Farmers’ Market Society


text: What a way to advertise! Fast food chain Sonic will unveil plans to steam team logos onto burger buns, they’ve got deals with universities in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. stamp college team logos on hamburger buns. For Sonic, which mostly relies on regional sales appeal, the bun logos are a bid to solidify local appeal and raise eyebrows.”We’re a gathering spot in many smaller communities,” explains James O’Reilly, chief marketing officer at Sonic, which has 3,500 locations in 44 states. “This will generate a lot of buzz. I like the idea. What do you think? Ads on your buns (hamburger bus)! Face Book here.


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As more consumers become aware of the environmental and human costs of apparel production, fewer will opt for fast fashion, widely seen as the most problematic sector in the industry, according to a report Monday from investment firm UBS.
Fast-fashion retailers could face revenue declines of 10% to 30% over the next five to 10 years, the analysts said in an emailed report.
"The compounding effect of consumers buying fewer items but also shifting the purchases they do continue to make to items that they perceive to be more sustainable could be severe," UBS Analyst Victoria Kalb's team wrote.
Apparel companies, including fast fashion, are increasingly addressing rising consumer concerns. H&M in particular is experimenting with textiles and releasing eco-minded collections. But siloed efforts may not be enough to ward off rejection of the idea of disposable clothing.
"Whether the garment is conventionally produced with a significant environmental footprint, the cotton used in a t-shirt is organic, the polyester in a fleece is recycled, or the garment or shoe is vegan (which, incidentally, often means plastic) becomes largely insignificant when set against the sheer quantity of items produced and discarded," according to the UBS analysts.
Instead, apparel companies need to slow down and reduce their output — an idea antithetical to the production and supply chain methods honed by fast fashion in the past several decades. "System redesign is required (fewer items sold, items lasting longer, fewer items disposed of, achieving circularity), rather than replacing conventional garments with 'more sustainable' alternatives," UBS said.
Measuring consumer sentiment, particularly changes in that sentiment, is extremely difficult, and especially so in a sector as intrinsically volatile as fashion, the analysts noted. But they also said consumers are increasingly exposed to educational and marketing campaigns about climate change and the environment, and that even local governments are taking steps in areas like waste management, chemical pollution and water management.
In a survey of consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, UBS found that more than half are aware of people who have changed their shopping behavior over environmental concerns. And they found a willingness to change, in that while 58% said they were previously unaware of apparel's environmental impact, 20% to 25% of those consumers would buy less clothing now that they are, and 28% to 31% said they'd "seek out sustainably manufactured clothing."
The report comes on the heels of similar analysis from Moody's Investors Service last week that fast fashion and discount brands will likely face the most competition as environmental and social issues carry more weight in purchasing decisions. Moody's also noted that apparel companies seen as bad for the environment face "reputational risk."
UBS analysts likewise see "public pressure campaigns" as effective in stoking "strong feelings (or embarrassment in the context of public opinion)," which in turn results in "a fundamental change of habits." Moreover, such sentiment can hit a tipping point, as when perception of sugary soft drinks deteriorated to the point where sales declined 24% over two years. "While we do think companies have options in responding to these shifts ... we see changes in consumer behaviour as being more powerful than companies' ability to respond," UBS warned.


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Only three days after EFF's open letter to HP over the company's deployment of a stealth "security update" that caused its printers to reject third-party cartridges, the company issued an apology promising to let customers optionally install another update to unbreak their printers.
That's good for starters, but it's a long way from making up for one of the most egregious abuses of a security update in recent memory. With HP on the run, it's time to push for real, meaningful reassurances and remedies about this bad conduct — not just to make sure HP does right by its customers, but also to put other companies on notice about the kind of drubbing they can expect if they follow HP's lead.
EFF's open letter has more than 10,000 signatures, and there's more flooding in as I type these words. If you haven't signed the letter, please do — and then tell your friends. Even if you don't have an HP printer, we all share the same internet with tens of millions of these things, and the last thing we can afford is for HP to be giving its customers reasons not to run security updates, especially as these kinds of devices are being hijacked to perform unprecedented attacks on the net.
First: HP needs to promise never to use a security update to take away features again. There's hundreds of millions of inkjet printers out there, and they're vulnerable to malicious software that can conscript them into jaw-dropping internet attacks. Whether or not you own an HP printer, you have a stake in HPs' printers being swiftly updated when bugs are discovered in them. That means that HP must not give customers a reason to worry that the next "security update" is yet another self-destruct mechanism aimed at protecting the security of HP's cartridge division, rather than the security of our printers, to which we supply our credit card details, Social Security Numbers and personal photos.
Second: HP has to promise not to attack security researchers who disclose vulnerabilities in its printers. It's great to see HP underwriting tech-oriented podcasts and TV shows about security, but when they add digital locks to their inkjet cartridges, they're sending a legal signal that security researchers can hear clear across the net. That's because Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act — which protects locks that control access to copyrighted works — has been used to prosecute and harass security researchers who want to warn you about dangers lurking in the equipment you have put your trust in. When security researchers have to sue the federal government for the right to do their jobs, HP needs to tell us where they stand on this issue.
Third: HP needs to come clean. Which models does this affect? Have they put this in other models? How are they going to alert the customers whose printers they broke that there's an "optional" patch to unbreak them?
Tell HP: No to DRM [Petition/EFF]


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New Jersey News
English bulldog stolen from New Jersey pet store
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- An english bulldog was snatched from a store in New Jersey Monday, and the entire thing was captured on surveillance camera.
The seven-week old pup is in need of shots, so store owners hope someone will spot him soon.
The dog, Blackie, weighs just 6 pounds and would have been sold for $3,500. Police say Blackie was stolen last night by a man, who posed as a customer at the Aquarium at Route 4 in Elmwood Park.
"We are offering a $1000 reward for the dog's return, safe and sound," said Joe Aversa.
Pet store surveillance cameras captured the suspect walking in the store Monday night and within a minute, he slides open the door to the dog cages and takes Blackie. Then, looking back to make sure no one is watching, he hurries off to a bathroom in the back.
Blackie was thrown out of this bathroom window and landed in this aquarium full of cold, dirty water.
"The right thing to do is to return it to someone who will love it and care about it, not someone who will throw it out the window," adds Aversa.
After throwing the dog out the window, the suspect is seen getting car keys from his girlfriend, presumably to put the dog in the car. But he wasn't done yet. He comes back in and he and his girlfriend go downstairs to try to steal a sugar glider, a small marsupial that costs $225.
Surveillance video shows the man reaching his hand into the cage, getting bitten, and giving up. Finally, the couple selected a $5 dog toy to buy, and leaves. Employees looked in on the bulldogs, and noticed Blackie was gone.
Police want everyone to take a good luck at the pet store robbery suspects, to catch them and get Blackie back in a safe home as soon as possible.
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A short one for the holiday weekend.
Steve Lohr, The New York Times. Why Isn’t New Technology Making Us More Productive? (May 24, 2022)
At Anthem, a health insurer whose plans cover more than 45 million people, about 75 percent of the customer questions are now handled through its digital channels, including a web portal, a mobile app and speech recognition software. Three years earlier, the digital share was about 30 percent. The question-answering technology to help people with basic tasks like checking the status of a claim, paying a bill or finding a doctor is animated partly by A.I.
Digital automation has eliminated 10 million phone calls that Anthem’s call centers would have fielded, estimated Rajeev Ronanki, president of digital platforms.
Anthem, which is changing its corporate name next month to Elevance Health, is not cutting its customer service staff. But the role of those workers and how their performance is measured have changed. The traditional metric of performance in call centers is “call-handle time,” and the less time per call, the better. Anthem now wants its customer service staff to resolve problems for callers with one call, whenever possible, rather than passing them to another department.
Many of its call center agents have received additional training to become what Anthem calls “care navigators.” Measurements of their performance now include issues resolved and consumer satisfaction surveys. By that broader set of measures, Mr. Ronanki said, the company’s contact agents are 30 percent to 40 percent more productive. Adding skills and redesigning work, he said, are as important as improving technology.


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Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today unveiled the new Nokia 3595 phone, bringing the excitement of a full-color display to a mass-market audience looking for a balance between technology and affordability. This new dual band (GSM/GPRS 850/1900 MHz) phone takes full advantage of its 4096-color display by integrating Java technology for downloadable applications and Multimedia Messaging Service […]
The legal climate in the technology world seems to have slowed down a bit unfortunately, which makes me long for the glory days of the spring. Back then, we heard about a new lawsuit almost every day. Everyone was suing everyone, and it was fantastic. Some of the lawsuits were zany, some were incredibly Machiavellian, […]
I’m still partial to having a true smartphone these days, but there are many other people who are more interested in cheaper messaging phones with full QWERTY keyboards. If that sounds like you, Boost Mobile has you covered with the Samsung Rant.
If you’re thinking that this phone looks a lot like the Samsung Gravity, you’re not alone. The form factor was unique a few years back, but several other messaging phones have started to take on this style (like the LG Rumor).


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Poppy Auction and Raffle Raise £17,500!
Sat 20th March 2021
Our supporters are amazing!!!
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in our poppy shirt auction and raffle, which raised an incredible £17,500.
Congratulations to raffle winner Murdo Campbell, who is now the proud owner of Roofe’s jersey, signed by the man himself.
Proceeds from the auction and raffle are supporting the Foundation’s Armed Forces Fund, which helps a range of services-related charities.


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NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Smart clothing and body sensors can be considered the ultimate wearables, something that integrates into your life as a garment, footwear, or a sensor device that can track or measure a specific physiological or biometric attribute. Unlike fitness trackers, smart watches, or smart glasses, which have fairly well-defined form factors and use cases, smart clothing and body sensors are seeing a greater degree of experimentation and innovation in use cases. The applications for smart clothing and body sensors span multiple domains including sports, consumer, healthcare, public safety, industrial, and enterprise. This is the second edition of Tractica's Smart Clothing and Body Sensors report, providing an update on market developments and trends during the last 12 months. Since the last edition, the market has seen a fairly significant amount of activity. In this edition, Tractica has expanded the report's scope to include new device segments like smart footwear in smart clothing; and wearable patches, movement sensors, and wrist devices within body sensors. Compared to last year, the healthcare and sports segments in particular are seeing more activity around body sensors. In North America, Major League Baseball (MLB) approved the use of specific body sensor wearables on the field during games. Big pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis and healthcare device companies like Philips are using body sensors for clinical trials. Google's Project Jacquard
and Jabil's acquisition of Clothing+ suggest that the smart clothing sector is developing at a fast pace both in terms of technology and in manufacturing capabilities. Within smart clothing, we are very close to seeing established sports apparel and footwear brands, or high-street clothing brands launch products that incorporate smart clothing features. Under Armour has already taken the lead, launching one of the first commercial smart shoes.
Overall, the market for smart clothing and body sensors is moving in the right direction, although the body sensors market is estimated to be larger in the long run due to a wider variety of device types and application markets. Also, healthcare is estimated to be one of the biggest drivers for body sensors, particularly connected wearable patches. This report highlights the drivers and barriers for both smart clothing and body sensors, providing a snapshot of the market over the last 12 months and how it will grow in the next 5 years. The forecasts for smart clothing and body sensors are segmented by region, application market, and connectivity technology. Strategic recommendations are also provided for the players currently participating in this market and for those looking to enter the market.
1.1.1 SMART CLOTHING
The smart clothing market is seeing the most amount of activity within the sports and fitness area, with sensor-infused shorts, bras, and footwear tracking both biometric and physiological activity. Smart clothing companies hope to compete against fitness trackers and smart watches by providing better accuracy and the ability to target specific niche features like tracking muscle activity. However, the potential of smart clothing extends beyond sports and into the general consumer sector as brands like Levi's partner with Google in exploring new clothing-based Another area where we are starting to see the adoption of smart clothing is in professional uniforms, which is also measured under industrial applications. The EasyJet partnership with CuteCircuit is a good example of smart clothing entering the professional uniform space.
Uniforms for airlines, hospitals, train companies, road workers, and other professions with a safety component, either for customers or workers, should begin seeing adoption.
1.1.2 BODY SENSORS
Body sensors come in many shapes and sizes, including heart straps worn on the chest, headbands used for electroencephalograms (EEGs) to measure activity of the brain, posture monitors for detecting posture, baby and pregnancy monitors for measuring vitals and movement of a baby, and various other sensors used in both healthcare and sports settings, including movement sensors, wrist devices, and connected wearable patches. The market for body sensors today is in the very early stages, with heart straps being the most prevalent device. Most devices like baby and pregnancy monitors, posture monitors, and headbands are targeting a niche target audience. The healthcare market is expected to provide the largest impetus to this market, with pharmaceutical companies and healthcare device companies beginning to explore the use of body sensors for clinical trials and remote patient monitoring. By 2021, Tractica expects wearable patches to become mainstream with hospitals and clinics using these on a regular basis to keep track of patients and for medication adherence. Also, body sensors are seeing mainstream adoption by sporting leagues like MLB, with the U.S. market slowly accepting the use of on-field body sensors. However, the sports market for body sensors will not represent large volumes, as the population of players is much smaller compared to the number of patients that could be treated by a body sensor.
1.2 MARKET DRIVERS
Smart clothing will benefit from users looking for something beyond fitness trackers and smart watches, including better accuracy, convenience, specific statistics like muscle oxygen levels, and a deeper understanding of their fitness levels. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), close to 300 trials in the country are using wearables, mostly by pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials. This will have a direct impact on the use of body sensors, especially wearable patches and wrist devices. New technologies like laser cutting, assembly by lamination, or ultrasonic welding ensure that the sensors feel like they are part of the garment itself. Google's Project Jacquard is also another example of work being done to produce conductive yarns that can be used to weave a complete smart garment, with button like modules providing connectivity. Project Jacquard is also an attempt at finding alternate user interfaces (UIs) for smartphones, with clothes becoming a natural and effective medium. All of these advances will ensure smart clothing becomes more comfortable to wear, utilitarian, and easier to manufacture. Smart clothing also has potential in the area of professional workwear uniforms, which are used in hospitals, leisure, hospitality, public safety, transportation, and education sectors, among others. Smart clothing in uniforms can be used for a variety of use cases, including helping with establishing authority, improving productivity and performance, and promoting health and wellbeing.
1.3 MARKET BARRIERS
The types of specialized and detailed metrics that smart clothing products provide, including heart rate variability or muscle oxygen saturation, do not appeal to the average consumer. Unless some of this detailed information is put into context and explained in simple language, providing customized insights into the fitness level of a general consumer, smart clothing is likely to remain niche. Also, most smart clothing companies are focused on getting their product right, having customers feel comfortable wearing the product, or having the companion app work seamlessly on the smartphone. The next stage, which is critical in building stickiness, is building analytics and machine learning capabilities that can adjust and provide customized analysis and push users to their limit, while enhancing their fitness or wellness levels.
Smart clothing brings together two diverse and separate ecosystems: textiles and electronics. Although these two industries can come together to build prototypes or limited batch garments, the main challenge is working together to create standardized processes for high-volume manufacturing. For smart clothing to grow beyond sports and high-end fashion, one needs an Apple or a GoPro type of device that can make smart clothing cool and desirable, but, at the same time, affordable and not only for the high end. This would involve popular clothing brands like Gap, Zara, or H&M introducing a smart clothing line with a smartphone or connected element. Only fashion brands with that level of brand and scale can handle the manufacturing challenges and create awareness within the general consumer base. Body sensors like wearable patches have several technological challenges that limit their longevity and the amount of time they can be used. This has an impact on body sensor readiness for clinical trials. There are also questions about data accuracy, data compliance across different systems that analyze clinical data, data security and privacy, dealing with noisy data, and the high volumes of data that need to be analyzed and converted into meaningful outcomes.
1.4 MARKET FORECAST
Tractica forecasts that overall shipments of smart clothing will grow from 968,000 units in 2015 to 24.75 million units in 2021, representing a CAGR of 71.6%. The body sensor market includes heart rate straps, baby and pregnancy monitors, headbands, posture monitors, and 3D trackers, wrist devices, movement sensors, and wearable patches. Overall shipments will increase from 2.7 million in 2015 to 68.0 million in 2021.
interactions with smartphones. Within the industrial space, smart clothing will be used by personnel that work with heavy machinery or in hazardous conditions to measure fatigue.
Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03803138-summary/view-report.html
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Apple has bigger plans in mind for the increasing demand for iPhones, iPads and Macs in India. To cater this need, the world's most valuable brand is planning to open 500 stores across the nation, in a push to achieve dominance in the fastest growing smartphone market. Through these stores, Apple will make its products and accessories available to potentially hundred and thousands of customers in small towns and cities, according to various media reports.
The new expansion plan is a part of Apple's push into emerging markets such as China and India in order to gain supremacy against its biggest rival Samsung. The so-called iOS stores are aimed at providing Apple products in smaller towns and cities like Amritsar, Pathankot, Moga, Coimbatore, Trichy, Nagpur and Nasik, Economic Times reports.
Companies like Samsung, Micromax and Xiaomi have ruled the emerging markets with their budget friendly smartphones. In India, Apple has a relatively low market share under 5 percent.
"All this will change now. The company is finalizing plans to become a serious player in India, which is being seen as a strategic and one of the most promising markets globally," an Apple executive told Times of India.
The new stores will not be directly under Apple's sole ownership as Indian laws prevent foreign direct investment in single-brand retail. India's government requires any company to manufacture a part of its finished products in India to be able to open a retail shop anywhere in the country. Apple has argued with the authorities to rest such limitations. For now, Apple will have to continue its franchising model for its new stores in India. It is currently partnered with local distributors Redington and Ingram Micro to distribute Apple products to Apple Resellers, authorized centers and regional distributors.
The sales model will include a 9.5 margin on every iPhone or iPod sold through its partners in India. According to the reports, 5 percent of the margin will be given to retailers upfront while the remaining 4.5 percent will be given at a later time. As for Apple accessories, the company will offer up to 6 percent margin.


text: A little over a year after its debut on the floor of Geneva Motor Show, the moment many Porsche fanatics have waited for is finally here as the Stuttgart-base auto maker announced that its dealers around the globe will start to take purchasing orders for the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid. Thought improbable just an year ago, the 918 Spyder Hybrid belongs to a new generation of super cars, where emphasis went beyond styling and speed, but ecologically sound performance as well. A traditional V8 engine with the ability to produce 500+ horsepower, an additional 218 horsepower is then added via the forms of 2 electric motors. However, engineers at Porsche estimate the new Spyder will only consume about 3.0L per 100 km, or a fuel economy of 78 miles per gallon. Styled in par with the likes of Carreera GT and its predecessor, the 917, the 918 Spyder will be made with lightweight, high strength carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque at a cost of $845,000 per unit. And like other Porsche super car in the past, only limited number of units, cited less than 918 cars, will be produce. Production is slated to start at Porsche's Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen factory on September 18th, or 9-18, 2013.


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Volvo has already started production of the second-generation XC60 mid-size SUV at the company’s Torslanda plant in Sweden. The first customer-bound car, a T5 Inscription AWD in Crystal White, rolled off the production line just before lunch time.
The new car replaces Volvo’s highly-successful original XC60, which in the 9 years since its launch became the bestselling premium mid-sized SUV in Europe with nearly a million units sold globally. The XC60 today represents around 30% of Volvo’s total global sales.
“This is a proud day for everyone at the plant,” said Magnus Nilsson, vice president of the Torslanda plant. “We have worked hard in recent weeks and months to prepare Torslanda for this latest new Volvo model, and now we are ready to start delivering new XC60s to customers.”
Volvo claims the new XC60 is one of the safest cars ever made and it comes fully-loaded with new technology. This includes Steer Assist, which has been added to the City Safety system. A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses steer assist to help mitigate head-on collisions, while Volvo’s Blind Spot Indication System (BLIS) now uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.
Pilot Assist, Volvo’s advanced semi-autonomous driver assistance system, which takes care of steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130 km/h, is also available in the new XC60 as an option.
Volvo has released a promotional video below that gives us a more in depth information to the SUV’s engineering, performance, safety and design. After watching this video, you are probably more likely interested than ever to get behind the wheel of the new XC60!


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Non-financial uses of blockchain have been discovered, despite its prominence in the cryptocurrency industry. Using a variety of technologies, the blockchain creates tamper-proof transaction records that can be used by multiple parties without the need for a single authority. Non-financial applications, such as supply chain management, real estate, voting, digital IDs, and legal records, can also benefit from blockchain technology.
In some cases, however, its use may be restricted or even problematic. For example, blockchain technology can be useful in applications involving many participants who do not trust each other, while it may be overly complex in situations where only a few trusted users are involved, as in spreadsheets and databases. In addition to these potential drawbacks, the technology itself can be energy-intensive and pose a security and privacy risk.
Also read: Optical fibres could be changed by 3D printing technology
There are currently pilot projects utilising blockchain technology in non-financial applications, according to the GAO. According to the agency, those applications face challenges. Because most blockchain networks are not interoperable, they are unable to communicate with other blockchains. Additionally, organisations that want to use blockchain face legal and regulatory uncertainty, as well as difficulty in securing the necessary workforce.
While the financial applications of blockchain have the potential to reduce costs and improve access to the financial system, they too face multiple challenges.. The agency cited cryptocurrency as an example, noting that while they are a digital representation of value, many are also volatile in their values. “Decentralized finance offer services,” which include blockchain-based lending and borrowing, can also be problematic because they can facilitate illicit activity and reduce consumer and investor protections compared to traditional finance, with sometimes unclear and complex rules.
Policymakers should collaborate to unify standards for blockchain technology implementation and use; policymakers should clarify existing oversight mechanisms or create new mechanisms to ensure blockchain application oversight, according to the GAO, which suggested four policy options for improving benefits and mitigating challenges from blockchain technology;educational materials and activities to help users and regulators understand blockchain technologies beyond financial applications; and activities to determine whether blockchain is appropriate for specific missions and goals, or to mitigate specific challenges, should be supported by policymakers.
Also read: Equipment manufacturer Enar is acquired by Wacker Neuson


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CSPedia Retailer News & Updates (April 2014)
A monthly digest from the convenience store industry's online encyclopedia
MESA, Ariz. -- The staff of CSPedia, CSP Business Media's online encyclopedia of convenience chains, gathers new insights and news and updates the listings for the more than 470 retailers in its database on a daily basis. CSPedia delivers a monthly summary of these reports, often news not yet announced publicly, to its subscribers.
Here is a collection of some of the news and HR updates from April 2014.
Foodservice Equipment at a Glance
CSPedia now displays easy-to-read, updated charts with the type and quantity of foodservice equipment in stores operated by major chains.
People on the Move
- BP ampm. James Hachtel, longtime snacks category manager, has departed BP and is now vice president of strategic insights at Eby-Brown Co.
- Chevron Corp. dba Chevron ExtraMile, Chevron Food Mart, Caltex Star Mart. Adrian Bendeck is general manager of store operations. Rhonda Williams is national accounts manager, lubricants.
- Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Founder Alain Bouchard has taken a new role as founder and executive chairman of the board of directors starting Sept. 24, 2014, the date of the next Couche-Tard shareholders' annual meeting. COO Brian Hannasch will be promoted to the position of president and CEO.
- Crawford Oil/Green Valley Grocery. Correction: David Grimes is chief financial officer. Last month's update reported an incorrect title.
- Delek U.S.Holdings Inc. (Mapco). Rick Altizer, who joined the company in late 2013, has departed to become CEO of a restaurant chain, Elevation Burger. Tony Miller leads the company.
- FKG Oil. Gary Arnold has retired after 16 years as chief financial officer of the Illinois chain. Inquiries should be directed to Tim Horan, controller.
- High's of Baltimore (Carroll Independent Fuel Co.) dba High's Dairy Stores. Some buying duties have shifted, but Benjamin Jatlow continues as vice president and general manager.
- The Pantry dba Kangaroo Express, Petro Express, Presto Convenience, Li'l Champ. Pantry shareholders have elected new board members and a new chairman, Thomas "Tad" Dickson.
- Pioneer Energy LP. Jamie Oliver is category manager for general merchandise and salty snacks.
- RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. dba RaceTrac, RaceWay. Jamie Rodgers has joined the foodservice team and manages hot foods.
- The Spinx Co. Cheryl Szczesniak, CIO, and Steven Visser, CFO, have been appointed to the company's executive leadership team.
- United Dairy Farmers Inc. Tim Kling is director of real estate and Ross Hobler is property leasing manager for the chain. Jason Flynn replaced Bill Miller as category manager for candy/sweet snacks when Miller retired.
In the News
- Casey's General Stores Inc. is building a second distribution center in Terre Haute, Ind., and is considering a third. The Iowa-based chain operates more than 1,700 stores in the Midwest.
- East End Marketing, with 32 Valero and Shamrock locations in New York, is a new profile in CSPedia.
- J&H Oil Co. dba. J&H Family Stores has selected PriceAdvantage SMART Fuel Pricing as its fuel price management solution. The chain operates 96 stores in Michigan.
- Based out of Canastota, N.Y., Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes has selected Pine State Trading Co. as its primary wholesale supplier. Total store count dropped to 78 when a franchisee sold five stores and the chain dropped four corporate sites when leases on the locations were not renewed.
- Massachusetts-based Nouria Energy Corp. is adding Lipton dispensed tea to 26 locations and a line of private-label sandwiches provided by Garber Brothers commissary. It has dropped QSR brands Pizza Primo and Sub Express from its stores and transformed those 13 locations into its proprietary Sebago Cafe.
- Pennsylvania's Sheetz Inc. is planning its first grocery store concept at a student apartment and retail complex under construction at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. The company may expand the concept to the other college towns. The housing community and market are set to open in fall 2014.
- Speedway LLC (Marathon Petroleum Corp.) has partnered with IGS CNG Services to build a compressed-natural-gas fueling station in Findlay, Ohio, one of four to six CNG sites planned to open this year. The Ohio chain has 1,487 locations.
- Massachusetts-based Tedeshi Food Shops has been named one of FARE's "Leaders in Foodservice" and will be honored at FARE 2014. The chain is also the first convenience store chain to carry Rockin' & Roastin' coffee, an organic line by Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, in select locations.
- A slideshow of Vintners Distributors' Loop stores is posted on the chain's CSPedia profile page.
- Walters-Dimmick Petroleum Inc. is branding some of the chain's Shell stores as Johnny's Market, with plans to brand 15 to 17 stores. The stores will offer sandwiches, healthy snacks, fruits and vegetables. The Michigan chain operates 65 c-stores and three stand-alone QSRs, and has 29 dealer-operated locations.
- Wawa has rolled out Kalibrate's PriceNet fuel-pricing solution to all 382 fueling locations. The Pennsylvania chain is marking its 50th anniversary in 2014.
CSPedia--a product of CSP Business Media LLC--offers unparalleled intelligence and insight into more than 470 convenience retail chains in the United States and Canada. CSP developed it in response to requests from suppliers and retailers for more efficient sales calls. Because it's online, it is available 24/7, and information is updated every day. CSPedia represents chains with 20 or more locations or a total of more than 110,000 stores.
Company profiles include background and history on each chain, as well as information on their buying needs and marketing practices. Information is gathered directly from the operators in one-on-one interviews with buyers. It includes contact information for key managers and buyers, along with bios and photographs.


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Dustin Johnston is a crafter who makes pottery, while his partner Jennifer Moher started painting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We initially wanted to open a pottery shop for his stuff, but over the pandemic I started making textured art,” said Moher. “So we thought we’d blend the two together and get some home goods and tie it together into a shop.”
There’s a pottery workshop in the back, where Johnston makes all his works in-house.
There is Johnston’s pottery, alongside Moher’s paintings as well as work by her mother Anne Lawless. There are also bouquets and floral arrangements from a local florist, which can be paired with the pottery too.
“It all really comes back to the idea of gathering at home or at the table,” said Moher. “The idea of gathering with your loved ones.”
Moher says she was a wedding photographer for 15 years while Johnston did tiling. When the wedding industry was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, she started painting and pivoted her business.
Out of work, she began doing art pieces while her partner made the frames and the business grew from there.
“I’m born and raised here so I’ve always been a fan of the downtown, I’ve had photography studios downtown,” said Moher.
Peterborough is a “cool and creative centre for arts and music,” said Johnston, noting it’s a great place to have an artsy business alongside other innovative small-business owners.
“I like the idea of walk-by traffic as opposed to going to a box store and parking,” added Moher.
She also mentioned wanting to team up and collaborate with other local businesses and getting more items locally sourced.
“We’re trying to source Canadian-made stuff too, if we can,” said Johnston.
The grand opening was on Dec. 1, and Moher says she’s excited to be open for her first holiday season downtown.
And the business will evolve and grow as it continues, the two add.
“Down the road, I might offer some workshops for pottery,” said Johnston.
“It’s all so fresh, and we’re still trying to feel out what (the business) actually is,” said Moher.
Gather can be found on Instagram at @gatherhomegoods.


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With mobile on the rise, it is sensible for marketers to start integrating mobile strategies into their marketing mix. Traditional media is still prevalent, but the budget for mobile strategies is increasing and will continue to increase in the future. The COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, even made a comment recently that mobile is a more important ad medium than TV.
One way to implement a mobile strategy is through SMS text messaging. According to research, 40% of consumers who opted in to receiving promotional emails from a business are also interested in getting the same type messages through SMS (Responsys). Promotional messages through text messaging are a more convenient way to reach a target audience than through email.
A more specific look of the types of messages consumers prefer to receive via SMS is as follows:
- 42% prefer location-based offers
- 39% like general discounts, offers and deals
- 37% want to hear about in-store sales and events
- 42% are into gift guides and product recommendations
As far as ages are concerned, 64% of young adults ages 18-29 prefer to receive location-based offers, compared to 50% of 30-39 year olds and 42% of 40-45 year olds (via business insider).
Another effective mobile marketing strategy is mobile coupons. The number of coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices are expected to reach 1 billion this year (via mobile commerce daily). That is a 50% increase from last year according to Juniper Research. Mobile coupons are a great way for retailers to drive traffic to their store and improve customer engagement. Consequently, mobile coupons are also much easier for consumers to use.
SMS Text messaging and mobile coupons are both great ways to incorporate mobile into a marketing strategy. As mobile is becoming more popular, it is crucial to start implementing new ways to reach consumers aside from traditional marketing. With all the new technology today, integration is key.


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160over90’s APAC leadership team has penned their predictions on which marketing shifts are set to impact the region in 2023 – Ranging from the boom of sports series
, and the rise of the digital participation era, to mainstreaming genuinfluencers.
Trend 1. Gavin Hadley, Vice President, 160/90 Hong Kong – ESG Vanity Projects Under Spotlight
Trend 2. Lucas Barclay, General Manager, 160/90 Australia – Sports TV Series Become a Primary Driver of Sports Fandom
Trend 3. Yi Ji, Senior Director, 160/90 China – Whisky & Baijiu Brands Compete for China’s Females and Millennials
Trend 4. Edoardo Lipari, Director, 160/90 Singapore – The Rise of the Digital Participation Era
Trend 5: Domina Ball, Strategy Director, 160/90 Hong Kong – Mainstreaming Genuinfluencers in APAC
Trend 6: Joe Pattison, Head of Strategy, 160/90 Singapore – Increasing Connectivity, Increasing Opportunity
1: ESG Vanity Projects Under Spotlight
While environmentally-conscious consumer values are burgeoning (a recent regional Bain survey found that 9 out of 10 are willing to pay for reduced environmental impact), brands in APAC are becoming more communicative on sustainability. But, skepticism and mistrust over greenwashing have hurt consumer sentiment.
84% of respondents to Kantar Asia sustainability surveys said they have seen misleading information about sustainable action by companies, and 54% said they have stopped buying products and services from brands that negatively impact the environment. We are firmly into the ‘decisive decade’ and the brand risk of not following a path to sustainability is material.
In 2023, sentiment in APAC will continue to swell, and consumers will reward transparent marketing that demonstrates action on ESG goals while opting against brands that underdeliver and greenwash. The brands who ‘win’ the most will be brands that consider consumers as stakeholders as well as customers.
2: Sports TV Series Become a Primary Driver of Sports Fandom
Nearly 39% of global fans watch non-live content related to a live sports event. Furthermore, global fans aged 16-29 are 11% more likely than global fans outside of that bracket to watch non-live content that is related to a live sports event.
These statistics belie the true power of sports TV series to drive sports fandom. By turning entertainment into marketing, a material positive impact can be made on the audiences for sports, teams, and sports talent worldwide. Many will be familiar with F1 successes from Drive To Survive, where the average TV audience in the US has almost doubled between 2018 and 2021, social media engagement has soared 99% YOY to 810 million, and it has become the fastest-growing sports property across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitch, and Chinese social platforms. Importantly, over 75% of Formula One’s audience growth came from those aged between 16 and 35, a key demographic for broadcasting and advertising partners.
F1 is not alone though, and you should expect to see more programming that takes in-depth looks at sports in 2023. Already in production and post-production are projects from Amazon (Cricket) and Netflix (Tennis) that are sure to bring new fans into each sport and drive popularity and intrigue across sought-after demographics. Not only does this activity serve to grow audiences, but it also provides opportunities to generate higher revenues for existing business models, as well as uncover new ways to monetise sport.
Watch out for major US sports leagues and clubs making a name for themselves and driving fan growth in APAC by developing locally relevant sports series programming in 2023.
3: Whisky & Baijiu Brands Compete for China’s Females and Millennials
China is the world’s largest spirits market, and with Baijiu accounting for more than 99% of the spirit consumption in 2021, this local drink has always dominated the spirits market.
The whisky market in China has been rapidly growing since 2017, with the market volume reported to have reached RMB 3.63 billion (US$520 million) in 2020. According to the 2021 China Whisky Annual White Paper, released by Baiping, nearly 47% of the Whiskey drinkers in China are Gen-Z consumers. To capture greater market share in China, the two global liquor giants, Pernod Ricard, and Diageo, have successively invested hundreds of millions of dollars in their first whisky distilleries in China.
Traditionally, Whisky drinkers are male and between 35-50 years old. But with the rising share of e-commerce platforms, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in Gen Z and female consumers. They do not share the older generation’s drinking culture and advocate the concept of moderation and are also keen to buy spirits online for an occasional drink at home.
In 2023, we expect whisky and baijiu brands to invest more in China, specifically targeting the female and millennial demographics.
4: Rise of the Digital Participation Era
The rise of Facebook and Instagram enabled us to tap into something fundamental to our make-up as humans – we want to share and be part of a community. FB and IG were built around largely pointless status updates and endless pictures of food, sharing micro snapshots of our lives (or the lives we wished we lived).
With TikTok’s emergence, sharing was no longer enough – TikTok was the platform that enabled us to create. The shift was profound amongst Gen Z, who have a formidable desire to express themselves through new forms of content. What was once a photo of one’s Sunday breakfast became a ‘get ready with me’ 15-second video.
The pandemic and growing hype around the Metaverse have meant things are changing again. Sharing and creating are being supplemented by participating in digital worlds. What’s different this time is that brands are leaning in. Brands have always followed consumers on FB, IG, and TikTok, but now this dynamic is changing. Where once brands engaged consumers in the retail environment or in one-way dialogue online, we are seeing community-led factions of consumers in APAC collaborating with brands, with consumers evolving from onlookers to decision-makers.
With its ‘Go Madbury’ campaign, Cadbury matured a campaign in India asking its consumers to invent their variant of the famous chocolate bar using local ingredients. In Singapore, a TikTok video by influencer Zaki Hussain suggesting adding a few additional ingredients to elevate the Classic Zinger Burger became an actual limited edition Zhng Zinger Burger sold at local KFC restaurants. And of course, the same is happening in the ultimate expression of the digital participation era: the Metaverse.
In particular, the rise of Gamefi among Gen Z in Asia has caught the attention of service providers, including banks creating ‘virtual branches’. Among those who have been first to set up virtual storefronts are HSBC and Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank, which purchased land in The Sandbox to sell banking products to a new breed of digitally-native consumers.
In 2023, the participation era will likely see continuous growth across APAC. More than 44% of users aged 18 to 34 in the region are motivated by their favourite brand online the most when they feel ‘involved’ – more than any other region globally. A shift in the definition of social media “engagement” itself will likely follow, as local audiences increasingly expect to become active contributors in the activity of brands and their creations. Ultimately, this inclusive and immersive phase of digital will give rise to a co-creation economy where brands daring to empower consumers can significantly grow their core audience and proportionally drive commercial revenue.
5: Mainstreaming Genuinfluencers in APAC
A favourite moment in the world of brand partnerships this year came when Gucci x North Face collaborated with amateur train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois. (For those unfamiliar, Bourgeois rose to fame on TikTok by attaching a GoPro to his forehead and filming his unbridled joy as trains whizzed by).
Bourgeois’ engagement reflects a wider trend of brands leaning into Genuinfluencers – a class of social media personalities more interested in sharing their interests and presenting their authentic selves than they are in sponsored content.
The rise of the ‘Genuinfluencer’ happens at a time when platforms have evolved algorithms to prioritise relevant content over and above content from traditional influencers with mass followings. With algorithms on their side, authenticity has become the most vital currency these new influencers have.
In 2023, brands in APAC will lean into Genuinfluencers in a big way. Not only because traditional influencers are losing their share of voice, but also because Genuinfluencers transfer their authenticity to partner brands in a way few marketing channels can. Their reach might not be as wide, but they’ll certainly say more about brand values and have the bonus of coming with trusting, dedicated audiences.
6: Increasing Connectivity, Increasing Opportunity
Until recently, APAC was a region less connected, with mobile connectivity generally lower in the region than in the West. According to Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Intelligence, only 44% of APAC currently use mobile internet services. While this varies depending on the APAC region (South Asia has a significantly lower proportion of connected users than East Asia), the overall figures lag behind Western Europe, North America, LATAM, and the Middle East.
There are two key variables impacting this lack of connectivity. Firstly, some APAC markets have struggled with launching the infrastructure changes required, with 10 markets across APAC, mostly in South Asia, yet to launch significant 5G programmes – impacted also by the pandemic. The other is affordability, as the cost of smartphones and ongoing data usage are often too expensive for a vast proportion of the APAC population.
This impacts brands and their abilities to reach new markets, as a lack of mobile connectivity limits the complexity of media that can be consumed outside of the home, giving less opportunity for brands to interact fully with audiences in some parts of the region.
2023 and beyond will see significant improvements in this space. From 2021, we’ve already seen significant improvements – APAC had the biggest increase in mobile internet adoption, accounting for 64% of new mobile subscribers globally (GSMA Intelligence). We are seeing the impact of this in changing media habits – this year, APAC became the first global region to spend more time on Online TV/Streaming than Linear TV (Global Web Index, 2022).
Through significant infrastructure investment, reducing costs, and anticipated GDP increases across APAC markets, we expect to see a much higher proportion of the region connected with 4G/5G services. By 2025, there could be as many as 3.7 billion consumers connected to 4G or 5G services (Dataxis, 2022). This rapid connected growth, combined with anticipated GDP increases, will give brands new opportunities in the APAC region.
160over90 is a full-service cultural marketing agency. An integrated part of the Endeavor network, which includes entertainment agency WME and sports, fashion and events leader IMG, 160over90’s cultural insight, access and influence helps brands stay connected to what their consumers care about most. With offices in seven countries around the world, 160over90’s expertise spans experiential, creative, public relations, digital, social, impact, influence, higher education and more. www.160over90.com


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This article is more than 1 year old
UK cyclists hit by fraud after online purchase at website
Caught in the middle of a chain reaction
Updated A suspected security breach at popular UK-based biking site chainreactioncycles.com has been linked by victims to multiple instances of fraud.
Various bike enthusiast forums are alive with complaints (here and here) from customers of the site, several of whom are reporting unauthorised charges on their credit or debit cards. The victims are tied together by having shopped at the bike site over the last fortnight or so.
The majority of fraudulent transactions reported seem to involve mobile phone top-ups to either Vodafone or O2, typically two transactions valued at £15 or so for a total fraudulent amount of £30. However, a small percentage of victims have been taken for thousands of pounds.
The experiences of a Reg reader, who wishes to remain anonymous and was the first to tell us of potential problems, seems typical: "I recently purchased items from the online cycling retailer Chain Reaction. A few days after payment went through, I had a couple of fraudulent transactions on my Visa card, which I cancelled, and got money refunded."
Banking regulations in the UK mean that victims should be able to recover the lost sums, but in the meantime they face an anxious wait and the possibility of being short of cash to pay bills until the mess is sorted out.
Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) released a holding statement, republished via a thread on popular mountain biking portal MoreDirt.com, that acknowledged reports of problems and stating that it had started an investigation. "Our own infrastructure is routinely and independently tested and we are confident that it is robust," it said. "We are working with industry experts including the card processing companies to identify possible causes both inside and outside the control of CRC."
A spokesman for CRC told El Reg that the ongoing investigation, started on Monday, had thus far not come across anything amiss.
Digital forensics blog ForHacSec adds that the common theme of the fraudulent transactions was that they occurred between seven and 10 days after victims purchased goods from chainreactioncycles.com. Purchases at CRC between March 4 to 12 seem to be those most closely associated with subsequent fraud, it adds. ®


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The new Catella Market Tracker, The European Hotel Market, shows a clear shift in the structure of hotels in recent years – the budget and luxury segments are the two winners from this development. In 2016, approximately EUR 17.8 billion was invested in the hotel asset class, and growth is expected in almost all European countries, especially Spain, Germany, Austria, Ireland and Sweden.
The increasing connection of destinations through transport links, the global emergence of an Asian middle class with a high willingness to spend, and changed social preferences in terms of exotic locations, length of holidays, entertainment and individualisation all illustrate the strong attraction of the tourism sector.
In this structurally growing market, the established hotel asset class is a key element of portfolio diversification, putting it increasingly at the focus of investor attention. Germany is the most popular European investment location for hotel properties, with a transaction volume of EUR 4.4 billion last year, followed by the UK. Of the European transaction volume in 2016 of EUR 17.8 billion, EUR 10.6 billion was invested in single-asset deals.
“However, we assume the transaction volume for specific countries is likely to be well above this, due to the substantial systemic lack of market transparency due to single deals,” says Dr. Thomas Beyerle, Head of Group Research at Catella, explaining the challenges of the semi-transparent market.
“No uniform certification system exists for European hotels, which complicates comparisons between countries. Secondly, some of the new providers avoid classification, claiming “We are the benchmark, including a cool brand,” continues Beyerle.
Also, for better or worse, online travel agencies (OTAs), complemented by metasearch engines, determine occupancy rates, or rather economic success. Nevertheless, Catella still sees no really disruptive threat to the European hotel market from sharing portals.
In general, it can be noted that positive growth will be generated in nearly all countries, with Spain, Germany, Austria, Ireland and Sweden set to benefit most. Budget and luxury hotels will be the most investor-friendly hotel types, with the highest returns and best prospects.


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“These clothes have been sitting in my closet for a while….it’s amazing that my fashion gets to live on,” said Golden resident Sheila DeForest, who’s made a small business out of selling clothes on the website and app Poshmark. “It’s like Instagram for fashion, so you basically take a photo of your item and list it in your closet; our stores are called ‘closets,’” Deforest said.
A Vancouver woman has discovered a way to part with some of her gently used clothes and make money doing it, too. Jessica Luxe has a taste for fashion and wanted to find a new home for some items she wanted to recycle. So she signed up with Poshmark, an app for those who are passionate about fashion. “I’ve been on the app for two months and I’ve made $1,500,” said Luxe.
In the modern NBA, being a superstar means much more than just being good at basketball—it means being a fashion icon, as well. To demonstrate, peer-to-peer fashion resale platform Poshmark released new data highlighting the trends and styles that saw noticeable growth with shoppers as a result of fashion trends brought to the fore by NBA luminaries over the 2018-2019 season.
“Today, Poshmark is the foundation for thriving retail and resale businesses and brands, which have amassed engaged followers, thousands of dollars of income, and a supportive, entrepreneurial community,” said Manish Chandra, founder and chief executive officer of Poshmark. “Their success is indicative of the widespread growth and future promise of social commerce.”
Today, the eight-year-old company announces it has paid out $2 billion to its community of seven million sellers. And what’s even more surprising is that a year ago, the company hit its $1 billion milestone, meaning it has doubled revenues generated for sellers in a single year. It’s just another sign that the resale market is gaining speed.


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Down Home Brew Supply opens
ARLINGTON — For local residents who have ever wondered how they can begin to brew beer or wine at home, they can look no further than downtown.
Down Home Brew Supply is a brand new business on Fifth Street in downtown Arlington that opened on June 1.
Owners Mike and Amy Scarsella decided to open their own business selling home brewing supplies when Mike gained interest in the pastime some two years earlier.
“If you can bake cookies, you can brew beer,” said Scarsella, who grew up farming and has been growing hops in Arlington for about three years. That experience led him to have an interest in brewing. “I was already a member of the home brewer’s club here in Arlington,” he said.
Trading tips and ideas with other local home brewers alerted Scarsella to a pointed need for a supply store in the area.
“The nearest ones are in Anacortes and South Everett,” he said. So they opened their own store. They offer more than 50 specialty grains. “We have four different chocolates, four different barleys, dry malts, liquid malts, everything you need,” said Scarsella.
And beer is not the only drink that Scarsella’s customers can try their hands at making at home.
“On the wine side, we have all the fruit you need and all the supplies,” said Scarsella, although most of his customers have been interested in home brewing beer. But for those who have had an interest in home brewing but aren’t sure where to start, Down Home Brew Supply has something that will help.
“We’ve got the deluxe starter kit with all the brewing supplies for less than $150 dollars,” said Scarsella. Each batch yields five gallons and the brewer can choose which flavor profiles to employ.
“You’re brewing something that you actually want to drink,” said Scarsella. His wife, Amy, agreed. “It’s cool how they are all so different and we’re adding more all the time,” she said. “The best beer I’ve ever had is one that [Mike] made with coffee and vanilla beans and it was delicious. It’s funny because I used to always drink Bud Light, but now I don’t even like it anymore.”
The homebrew that Scarsella made had vanilla beans soaked in Portwood Scotch.
“It’s pretty darn delicious,” said Mike Scarsella. “It looks like road tar but it’s good.”
Down Home Brew Supply is located at 116 E. Fifth St. For more information call 360-403-3259.


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A BRITISH couple are toasting a stunning New Year victory after they reversed a draconian demolition order on their stunning Spanish villa.
But Brits Valerie Jubb, 65, and hubby Patrick, 66, told the Olive Press how they have ‘been through hell’ over the €20,000 legal battle to save their luxury B&B.
It came after their €680,000 four-bed property in Jimena de la Frontera, was slapped with a demolition order in early 2015, just as they came to sell it.
Beautiful Vina de Linan had been a popular holiday hideout for British holidaymakers and expats alike prior to their decision to move back home and retire.
But their carefully made plans to sell up and move back to the Scottish Borders were shattered when they were ordered to knock down the first floor, kitchen and pool.
The order came despite the fact that all the alterations had been done BEFORE they bought the home in 2008.
Indeed, as we reported in 2015, the couple had even got a certificate from the Junta declaring that there were ‘no outstanding’ planning infractions when they bought the home.
As it later emerged – and agreed by a Malaga court – the previous owners had actually legalised the 1994 extensions to the home in 2005.
“I cannot express how hard these last three years of hell have been,” Valerie told the Olive Press from her home in Scotland.
“It has drained us on a personal and financial level, costing us €20,000 in fees, but we are so happy that it is finally over and we can move on.”
She continued: “The huge court case last May was traumatic. We were literally fighting for our livelihood, everything was on the line.
We had sunk our life savings into that place.”
The Scottish couple had been on the verge of selling the home when Jimena town hall declared that the first floor, kitchen and pool had been constructed illegally.
The problem emerged because the home is inside the Alcornocales Natural Park, meaning the normal ‘four year rule’ did not apply – meaning the land registry should never have approved the alterations.
“It has been a complete failure on the part of the town hall and those in charge, and we will never invest in Spanish property again,” added Valerie.
“I feel totally betrayed by the town hall. I ran the local animal rescue centre and saved them a fortune by rehoming and neutering stray cats and dogs.
“It’s such a shame because the area is so beautiful, but at least we can now finally move on.”
- BREAKING: Reports of Vodafone being down in Spain - 18 Jun, 2019 @ 15:29
- WARNING: How meticulous thieves are robbing your homes while you enjoy days at the beach along Spain’s Costa del Sol - 17 Jun, 2019 @ 17:06
- Luxury brands continue to bet on Marbella’s Puerto Banus as Hermes, Versace and Fendi to set up shop - 17 Jun, 2019 @ 13:09
- Rival the yachts of Marbella this summer with this HUGE inflatable boat from Amazon - 17 Jun, 2019 @ 11:55
- REVEALED: British flyers behind soar in on-flight incidents in Spain as Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca most affected by bad behaviour - 17 Jun, 2019 @ 11:24
- IN PICS: The stunning 16th century estate going up for auction in Spain - 16 Jun, 2019 @ 09:07
- Fake goods costing Spain and EU billions each year - 15 Jun, 2019 @ 08:38
- Brothers cuffed after trying to stuff 11 champagne bottles down one of their tops in huge shoplifting FAIL on Spain’s Costa del Sol - 14 Jun, 2019 @ 17:22
- British tourists still flocking to Spain’s Malaga as first quarter of 2019 shows almost 10% increase in hotel stays - 14 Jun, 2019 @ 17:04
- 8 things you didn’t know were ILLEGAL to do at the beach on Spain’s Costa del Sol - 14 Jun, 2019 @ 12:29


text:
Similar to the river cruise business several years ago, the expedition cruise sector is on the cusp of a building boom that will fuel tremendous growth, according to Capt. Ben Lyons, ceo, Expedition Voyage Consultants.
China’s politically motivated suspension of permission for its people to cruise to Korea has cast a shadow over the expansion plans for the main Korean cruise port of Jeju, described by John Tercek, vp new business development, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., as 'the number one cruise port in Asia.'
The opening of Cuba to cruise tourism from the US is not just set to grow business for the Caribbean but, according to Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association president Michele Paige, it also could boost the all-important first-time cruiser market.
This year's Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific will take place in the Baoshan district of Shanghai, China between November 1-3, 2017.
With demand strong, emerging markets like China and Cuba, a $50bn-plus newbuild orderbook and the 'Trump effect' boosting the stock market, the cruise business may be at its best moment ever, top leaders said Tuesday.